David Galloway

If you ever have an emergency while out in the wild an effective way of getting help is to start a signal fire. You can make a fire with white or black smoke depending on your fuel source; choose whichever color provides the most contrast; Natural vegetation will produce white smoke and petroleum products produce black smoke.

Outdoor Life's survival blog points out that your signal fire should be in a visible location away from trees or other objects that might block your fire from view and that you should never let a fire get big enough that you cannot put it out with whatever you have at hand.

We've covered how to start a fire in the rain and given advice on how to build a better fire. Fire building is an essential human skill and even if you're a nonsmoker you may want to consider carrying a lighter or matches. Remember that many outdoors areas prohibit fires and in those areas you should only light a fire if you are genuinely seeking help. Photo by Ben Watts.